NEW ORLEANS – A Jefferson Parish man is suing a national passenger rail service for injuries he allegedly received while employed there.
Donald L. Cassara filed suit against National Rail Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court on Oct. 1. Cassara claims that he was working for Amtrak on Oct. 7 when he was directed to fuel a locomotive in the New Orleans fueling area. The plaintiff alleges that while lifting a fuel nozzle exceeding 50 pounds he suffered severe and permanent injuries to his lower back that made it unable for him to return to his job as a machinist.
The defendant is accused of failing to furnish the plaintiff with a safe workplace, failing to provide reasonably safe equipment, failing to furnish necessary and proper equipment, failing to furnish protective equipment, failing to provide necessary supervision, failing to warn of foreseeable hazards, allowing unsafe practices to become standard assigning work that would result in injury, assigning duties that might aggravate prior physical injuries to the plaintiff, failing to equip the fuel hose with a counter balance device and failing to inspect the equipment for defects.
An unspecified amount in damages is sought for permanent injuries, pain, nervousness, mental anguish, impairing the movement and function of the plaintiff's body and diminishing his ability to work.
Cassara is represented by Houma-based attorney Stephen J. Johnson.
The case has been assigned to Division N Judge Ethel S. Julien.
Case no. 2012-09235.